Anadolu Agency

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan clarified that the NATO-like agreement involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan does not target any specific country. This statement addresses speculation that the pact was formed in response to the ongoing war in Iran.

Turkish authorities detained 17 soccer club officials in a widening investigation into alleged illegal betting and match-fixing, including executives from top-tier clubs Galatasaray and Besiktas. Raids across Istanbul and nine provinces targeted suspects who allegedly placed bets while serving in official roles, with Justice Minister Akin Gurlek emphasizing a decisive fight against sports-related corruption. The scandal, which began with referee betting investigations, has expanded to players and officials, casting doubt on Turkish soccer's recent revival.

A US military delegation from Centcom arrived in Lebanon to assist in implementing a Lebanon-Israel agreement to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. The agreement, signed on June 26, involves Israel withdrawing forces from two southern Lebanon 'pilot zones' to be taken by the Lebanese army. US, Lebanese, and Israeli officials confirmed the deal's implementation stage, with the first withdrawal expected soon.

The China Coast Guard has rotated a patrol task group east of Taiwan. A vessel from the China Coast Guard was involved in the operation.

A Turkish court ordered comedian Deniz Goktas jailed pending trial on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and religious values after his stand-up routine labeled Erdogan a 'dictator.' The routine, which had 9.5 million views on YouTube, led to complaints from viewers, prompting an investigation. The government maintains that courts are impartial.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that technical issues in a recently signed memorandum of understanding may not be quickly resolved and cautioned about Israel attempting to sabotage the process. He emphasized potential deadlocks in negotiations and highlighted Israel's readiness to disrupt the deal.

An 18-year-old former student opened fire at a vocational high school in Siverek, southeastern Turkey, wounding 16 people before taking his own life. Authorities described the incident as isolated, with no known criminal record for the attacker, and emphasized the school was declared safe with no permanent police officer assigned.